Various network-based search applications allow a user to enter search terms and receive a list of search results. Such applications commonly use ranking algorithms to ensure that the search results are relevant to the user's query. For example, some systems rank such results based on reliability and safety of the search result, location of the user and search result, etc. These services may also provide business listings in response to a particular search query.
The business listing search results, or data identifying a business, its contact information, web site address, and other associated content, may be displayed on a map such that a user may easily identify which businesses are located within a particular area. In an attempt to generate more customers, some businesses may employ methods to include multiple listings in different geographic locations where the business does not actually exist. The customer may be defrauded by contacting an entity believed to be located nearby only to learn later that the business is actually operating from a completely different location. Such fraudulent marketing tactics are commonly referred to as “map spam”.